BOOK REVIEW: Out of Breath by Julie Myerson

4/5 stars

Blurb:

It's the summer holidays. And suddenly there's a strange boy at the bottom of Flynn's garden. Soon, she and her wayward brother Sam are walking out of the house in the middle of a hot summer's night and crossing four fields to find him again. But as well as the boy, Flynn and Sam find a whole gang of runaway kids. 

There's Diana, who's just had a baby. There's Mouse, who's only five and likes to set fire to things. And there is the boy himself, who stirs up feelings in Flynn that she's never felt before.But there's also someone else - the unspeakably malign and terrifying presence they're all running from. Escaping him, they stumble on an amazing and extraordinary house by a waterfall, a house which seems to offer safety and meets their every desire and need - or does it? 

The youngest character in the novel is one day old, and the oldest only seventeen. But the themes that lie at the heart of this ferociously original story are as adult, unsettling and universal as those of Julie Myerson's other novels.


Review:
I literally have NO IDEA what just happened or what I just read. I don't really fully understand, though I will say it was an entertaining read. The layout of the book was strange; the way the speech wasn't set apart from the rest of the text, no speech marks at all. Still, it was easy enough to navigate.

I really do feel conflicted by the book as a whole because I feel like maybe I know what was happening but also I haven't a clue. I feel like I'm left wondering what really happened and what didn't, and I don't like being left with questions or uncertainty.

In saying that, I found myself enjoying the story, invested in all of the characters and enthralled by their weird and wonderful ways. I'm glad I read it, though slightly confused and ready for the next book, because it will annoy me to ruminate!

It's been a while

Hi everyone!

It's been a while since I wrote on my blog. I guess things have been busy in my "real" life. I'm in a relationship now, (6 months!), my best friend just had a baby, and general work life has been keeping me busy. I'd love more time to write and promote my work but as my mam always said, beggars can't be choosers.

The Synergy Series is all done and dusted and 'Phenomenon', my sci-fi book, is coming along okay. I haven't dedicated much time to it recently but I'm 25 chapters in. I've given what I've written so far to my sister on a kindle copy and she's been busy reading and sending me feedback. I am slightly worried that she's going to go full Annie Wilkes on me, strapping me to a bed and forcing me to rewrite, though. The last scene she read didn't particularly go down well!

Tonight, I paid an editor to take a look at 'Dorm Room', the New Adult Novella I've been sitting on for a while. I love the premise of the story but I'm aware it may need a good pulling apart, and I'm fine with that. It's the part I hate the most about writing but it's gotta be done.

I'll leave it there for now but it's good to be blogging again!

 - Georgia

BOOK REVIEW: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

5/5 Stars

Blurb:

Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him as he tries to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination, but an answer.

In heaven, five people explain your life to you. Some you knew, others may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: "Why was I here?" 

Review:

You always know I've enjoyed a book when I finish it so quickly. Granted, it was a short book to begin with, but still, I didn't want to stop this one. The only reason I did is because I had to sleep and go to work. I still managed to finish it the next day. 

The five people you meet in heaven is a book I wanted to read a while ago after reading the sample. The frugal nature in me didn't want to pay £5.99 for a kindle book - it seemed a bit steep - especially when I already pay £7/£8 a month for as many books as I want on unlimited. Nevertheless, I decided to just go for it, because time passed and I still wanted to read it. I suppose in the grand scheme of things I just paid more than that for an average film at the cinema. Anyway, I digress. 

The book cannot really be described as anything but heartwarming. The main character dies at the beginning of the book, and while in heaven, he meets 5 people who all have a story to tell, however insignificant he thinks they might be to him. 

Around 90% of the way through the book, I actually teared up. The 5th and final person he meets is again, someone he has never met before, and yet changed his life, and death, so significantly. The way the author revealed it and brought it together was just perfect. I gasped from shock and devastation, and then felt my heart warm following. It's a book I'm glad that I spent money on. No regrets. I'd be interested to read other books from Mitch Albom. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Other Child by Lucy Atkins

3/5 Stars

Blurb:

Sometimes a lie seems kinder than the truth . . . but what happens when that lie destroys everything you love? 

When Tess is sent to photograph Greg, a high profile paediatric heart surgeon, she sees something troubled in his face, and feels instantly drawn to him. Their relationship quickly deepens, but then Tess, single mother to nine-year-old Joe, falls pregnant, and Greg is offered the job of a lifetime back in his hometown of Boston. Before she knows it, Tess is married, and relocating to the States. But life in an affluent American suburb proves anything but straightforward.

Unsettling things keep happening in the large rented house, Joe is distressed, the next-door neighbours are in crisis, and Tess is sure that someone is watching her. Greg's work is all-consuming and, as the baby's birth looms, he grows more and more unreachable. Something is very wrong, Tess knows it, and then she makes a jaw-dropping discovery . . .

Review: 

I could probably sum up the book in a sentence to save everybody time but that would be full of spoilers. The thing I usually like about psychological thrillers is that you often don't know where the book is going to go. You can usually guess quite early on because the author is steering you to one conclusion purposefully, to then find out you're completely wrong. Unfortunately, I figured out the plotline about midway through the book (if not before) and unfortunately in this instance, I was right. 

At one point, I thought I may be wrong. The author did her best to steer me and the main character into another conclusion but I was disappointed to find out at the end that actually, my first thought was right, meaning I felt I had wasted time during the second half of the book. 

The author herself has a nice writing style. It was an easy book to read and I loved the detail but unfortunately, there weren't enough twists and turns for my liking in a thriller. I also found myself a little bit confused when we went into Greg's family history from the start of the emails etc, though that may just be me. Overall, it was a pleasurable read, I have nothing against the authors style or idea, but the plot line just wasn't enough for me.

What a week!

What a week! Author duties have been on the back burner as I've been ill. Ended up in hospital last Sunday (I'm okay), but almost back at 100% and got to celebrate a great birthday this weekend, albeit a sober one (still on anti-biotics).

My 3rd and last book in the Synergy Series is up for sale now so I'm just excitedly checking sales and trying to get back to writing my current book, while trying to decide what to do with my other completed work. I've been sending out to traditional publishers but had a fair few rejections and I'm just too impatient! Currently sending out to beta readers so at least I can get some feedback in the meantime while I make my decision.

The full Synergy Series is available at the below links: 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00YB8PJYE

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BFURIVC

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01EM907Y8

BOOK REVIEW: Forever Together by Jade Whitfield

2.5/5 Stars

Blurb:

Dark haired beauty, Cindy Martin was once lucky in love, until her boyfriend broke her heart and sent her running. Attending college in faraway Los Angeles was the perfect excuse to get away, settle her heart and drown herself in wine and tears – except now she is back for the summer, and her ex hasn't gone anywhere. 
Brady Cooper is handsome, arrogant and still head over heels in love with Cindy. Six months ago, he let fear rule him and he made a mistake that cost him everything – now he just has to get her to believe him. 
Surrounded by friends and family that know too much and meddle a little too closely, can this once perfect pair overcome the obstacles in front of them, mend their hearts and finally be Forever Together? 
Sometimes the very thing that broke your heart is the only thing that can fix it.

Review:

Forever together, a book about Cindy and Brady who broke up but over the course of the book get back together again. That's pretty much the entire story line, though of course romance's are all about those sweet moments, the journey itself. 

As individual characters, I hated Brady to begin with. He's arrogant, full of himself and swears far too much (more so in the beginning) but despite that something in me sorta had a thing for him when he was with Cindy. I suppose every girl has that inner bad boy thing though we try to deny it. 

Cindy's character didn't seem as developed but I did like the secondary characters in the novel. Cindy's from a big family with a lot of siblings and Brady has a tough relationship with his stepdad and a dog he likes to bring everywhere. 

Overall, the novel was easy reading, I felt I knew the characters and I couldn't fault the writing in the slightest. Jade Whitfield is obviously a very talented writer, it's just a shame I didn't like the book more than I did. However, considering I don't usually read romances (Not my preferred genre) this one wasn't totally full of those cringey/cheesy moments that I find hard to stomach. More than anything, it was humorous, though it ended with a good dollop of cheese (it has to though, doesn't it? Romance readers love their happy endings).

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Last Girl by Joe Hart

2.5/5 Stars

Blurb:

A mysterious worldwide epidemic reduces the birthrate of female infants from 50 percent to less than 1 percent. Medical science and governments around the world scramble in an effort to solve the problem, but twenty-five years later there is no cure, and an entire generation grows up with a population of fewer than a thousand women.

Zoey and some of the surviving young women are housed in a scientific research compound dedicated to determining the cause. For two decades, she’s been isolated from her family, treated as a test subject, and locked away—told only that the virus has wiped out the rest of the world’s population.

Captivity is the only life Zoey has ever known, and escaping her heavily armed captors is no easy task, but she’s determined to leave before she is subjected to the next round of tests…a program that no other woman has ever returned from. Even if she’s successful, Zoey has no idea what she’ll encounter in the strange new world beyond the facility’s walls. Winning her freedom will take brutality she never imagined she possessed, as well as all her strength and cunning—but Zoey is ready for war.

Review:

'The Last Girl' is set in the future, where some unknown development means girls stopped being born. Thus, the end of the world as we know it. No women means no procreation, and one organisation, NOA, is out to change this, whether the girls have a choice or not.

Zoey, 20, has been in the facility most of her life. The girls there don't have a surname, they're told when to eat, what to do, and once they're 21, they're taken away for what they think is to reunite with their parents. Zoey, however, doesn't always play to their rules, and it finds her in a world of trouble. Once Zoey finds the secrets of the organisation and breaks out, she must find a way to save the other girls, before it's too late.

I downloaded this book from Kindle Unlimited because the blurb had me intrigued. A world where girls stopped being born? How interesting. The beginning of the book I really liked. I loved the imaginings of this facility that had been created in an effort to save the population, and I felt for Zoey and the other girls. However, as time went on, my interest lowered.

I found myself really intrigued during parts of the book, but utterly bored with others. I think the action scenes of the book just weren't to my liking because of personal preference. That being said, I can imagine it making a good film. There were some other aspects of the book that made me question Zoey's female decisions and feelings, and then of course I realised the author was male. No disrespect, but sometimes it can just be quite telling. 

Overall, I didn't hate the book. I appreciated the story and the imagining behind it, but as a personal preference, I found myself quite bored during parts. I've since found out that it is a series, and unfortunately, I won't be reading the rest. 

BOOK REVIEW: Every Day is a Holiday by George Mahood

2.5/5 Stars

Blurb:

What happens when you discover that today is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, tomorrow is National Curmudgeon Day, and the day after that is Inane Answering Machine Message Day? Well, you decide to celebrate them, that’s what!

At least, that’s what George Mahood did. He had a nice, comfortable life, with a job, a wife, and three young children. But he felt like he was missing out on a lot of what the world had to offer. The calendar is full of these quirky, weird and wonderful events, and George realised that somebody somewhere had created these holidays, believing that they were important enough to warrant their own official day. Surely he should therefore be more appreciative of their existence? He decided to try and celebrate them all, in the hope that it would turn him into a happier, more intelligent and more content person. 

Follow George on his hilarious, life changing adventure as tries to balance his normal life with a wealth of new experiences, people, facts and bizarre situations. It’s a rip-roaring, life-affirming, roller-coaster of a ride, where every day is a holiday.

Review: 

I didn't hate this book, nor did I dislike it. But did I love it? No. Could I have read and completed it if it was the only book I was reading? Probably not. 

I read the blurb of the book and thought it sounded quite humorous. George Mahood set himself a 6-month challenge to celebrate all of the quirky, weird, and usually quite random holidays that pop up every day, and he really stuck to it. 

The chapters within the book are really short, so it's definitely easy reading. Though most of the book is about the different holidays and challenges, along the way we learn more about George and his family, and one thing I can take from that is that George Mahood seems like a very nice man. I wish him the best of luck with his writing and with his future endeavors, but unfortunately, the book wasn't quite for me. 

Don't get me wrong, again, I didn't dislike it, but this book was more a sideline piece to other fictional books I've been reading alongside it. Every day is a Holiday was my easy-reading escape when I needed a break from the heavy stuff. So if that's what you're looking for, by all means buy it! 

ARC Copy to ALL Readers

I will be publishing Synergy Part 3 soon, and I would like to reward all my amazing readers by providing them with an ARC of the book. All you have to do is send me your email, I will then send everybody a copy before the book is released to Amazon.

Comment below or send an email to : georgiapayne.author@gmail.com

Although it's not required, a review of the first two books to Amazon and/or Goodreads would be hugely appreciated.

Dorm Room

Around the same time I started writing Synergy part 3, I started writing a New Adult novel too. It started as a side project, just something else that was in my head that I needed to write. It was more laid back than Synergy, I felt it flowed easier at times, but, somewhere along the way, I fell in love with the story and it was no longer a side project.

I got some great comments online and felt more motivated to finish it than I did Synergy at some points. I was sad when I finished it. Dorm Room allowed me to add in my own personal past experiences. I may have changed them slightly to match the characters, but the frame work was all there, and so, in the end, the characters journeys were my own too. I learned things about myself, I reflected on those situations that happened and saw them in a different light.

Writing Dorm Room was in some ways, like a personal therapy session for me. Writing is therapy, whichever way you look at it. They always say a great writer writes about the things they know, and whether that's as black and white as writing a memoir, or simply injecting your own experiences into your characters world, it all works.

Dorm Room has been finished for some time now, and while I debated self publishing like the Synergy series, I decided there's no rush for that. When I first started writing, I wanted everything done yesterday, much like the rest of my life, but now, I've learnt these things take time. Maybe I will self publish Dorm Room one day, but for now, I'm sending it out to publishers. You can only try.

BOOK REVIEW: The Asylum by Johan Theorin

4/5 Stars

Blurb:
'We don't talk about sick or healthy people at St Patricia's. Words such as hysteric, lunatic and psychopath... They are no longer used. Because who amongst us can say that we are always healthy?'

An underground passage leads from the Dell nursery to Saint Patricia's asylum. Only the children enter, leaving their minders behind. On the other side are their parents - some of the most dangerous psychopaths in the country.

Jan has just started working at the nursery. He is a loner with many secrets and one goal. He must get inside the asylum . . .

What is his connection with one of the inmates, a famous singer?

What really happened when a boy in his care went missing nine years ago?

Who can we trust when everyone has something to hide? 


Review:
I didn't know until purchasing the book that it is translated from Swedish. The last translated book I read wasn't the best so I'll admit, I was a little dubious. However, I soon forgot I was reading a translated book, and wouldn't have been any the wiser if it wasn't for certain names and place names. So kudos to Marlaine Delargy, the person who translated the book, you obviously did a great job. 

Now, onto the story. Jan Hauger is a pre-school teacher who lands a job in a very different kind of pre-school. One that is attached to a psychiatric hospital. The patients there are criminals, some dangerous and infamous, and Jan is told never to question what goes on there. He is to simply take the children to see their parents on visit day, and bring them back. The problem is, Jan has had his own experience with hospitals, and he's not as innocent as he seems. 

The book follows Jan in the modern day, taking care of the children at pre-school, and meeting with his co-workers in the pub at night. It also follows Jan in years previous, as a teenager. Over the chapters, the mystery unravels bit by bit, and I found myself wanting to read on further so I could understand what happened all those years ago to Jan - and why is he so interested with a certain someone in the hospital?

The book's ending certainly took a turn I wasn't expecting. I thought I knew it all, but I really didn't. I always like a book that can catch me off guard, but - and this was the only problem - I also like a book that wraps things up. I'm the kind of person that has to know everything in due time. I don't like surprises or mysteries, I like to be reliably informed. I left the book still wondering what happened to Jan, and while some people might like that, it's what stopped this book from getting a 5 star. Overall though, I enjoyed the mystery and the well thought out plot line from Johan Theorin. 

BOOK REVIEW: How To Grow An Addict by J.A Wright

4/5 Stars

Blurb:

Randall Grange has been tricked into admitting herself into a treatment center and she doesn’t know why. She’s not a party hound like the others in her therapy group—but then again, she knows she can’t live without pills or booze. Raised by an abusive father, a detached mother, and a loving aunt and uncle, Randall both loves and hates her life. She’s awkward and a misfit. Her parents introduced her to alcohol and tranquilizers at a young age, ensuring that her teenage years would be full of bad choices, and by the time she’s twenty-three years old, she’s a full-blown drug addict, well acquainted with the miraculous power chemicals have to cure just about any problem she could possibly have—and she’s in more trouble than she’s ever known was possible.

Review:

'How to grow an addict' is the story of Randall - a young girl who grows up with an awful father, a distant mother, and an unhealthy attitude to sex, alcohol and drugs. Going through her young life sneaking pills from around the house and falling too quickly for boys who only want one thing, Randall loses her place in the world. She has nothing to stop her from needing the next high and has little to no self worth. 

I'll admit, when I first started this book, I wasn't sure if I would like it or not, but as the story unfolded, I found myself drawn in. I felt so sorry for Randall and desperately wanted things to turn out well for her. There were moments where I saw her get back on top of things, and I wondered what could possibly make things worse, of course, something always did. 

If I didn't know any better, I would think I was reading a true biographical story. J.A Wright does a perfect job of writing Randall's story - I believed every word like she was a real person. I'd be surprised if the author doesn't have some real life experience which she drew on for the book.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy by the author in exchange for an honest review. My review is completely unbiased and based off my own true opinion. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Cold Cold Sea by Linda Huber

5/5 Stars

Blurb:

They stared at each other, and Maggie felt the tightness in her middle expand as it shifted, burning its way up - Painful sobs rose from her throat as Colin, his face expressionless now, reached for his mobile and dialled 999. When three-year-old Olivia disappears, her parents are overwhelmed with grief. Weeks go by and Olivia's mother refuses to leave the cottage, staring out at the turbulent sea and praying it didn't claim her precious daughter's life. Not far away, another mother watches proudly as her daughter starts school. Jennifer has loved Hailey for five years, but the child is suddenly moody and difficult, and there's a niggling worry of doubt that Jennifer cannot shake off. As she struggles to maintain control there are gaps in her story that even she can't explain. Time is running out for Maggie at the cottage, and also for Jennifer and Hailey. No-one can underestimate a mother's love for her child, and no-one can predict the lengths one will go to, to protect her family. 

Review: 

The beginning of the book starts, and a child goes missing. As the reader, you think you're going to be following this family throughout the story, but they're a minor reference. The real story is with another family, one who has suffered their own loss, and one who has made up for it in a terrible way. 

The Cold Cold Sea kept me interested at all points. A child abduction tale told from the perspective of the child who is taken, and the people who have taken her, rather than the suffering family. My heart broke for little Olivia who was taken - so confused with the emotional abuse she endures and the changes in her life. 

The whole way through the book, I was screaming out for somebody to notice something is wrong with this child. I wanted somebody to help her get back to her family, and I wanted the book to end with a satisfying finish. I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I almost shed a tear towards the 90% mark when it was all revealed. Fantastic storytelling. I'd recommend it.

BOOK REVIEW: The Search for Ethan by Robert Cowan

4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:

Two typical teenage lives are transformed after a night of hallucinogenic experimentation, when the subsequent bad trip spills into their real lives with tragic consequences. A desperate but darkly comical search for redemption begins, with help from an unlikely source.
Review:

The search for Ethan is like no book I've read before. It was so unique in genre that I'm finding it difficult to compare it to anything, let alone describe what it was about. Tommy and Stevie, two teenage friends have their lives change in more ways than one as the years unfold. Their lives go in two completely different paths, and it's a coming of age story with a twist. The pair encounter drugs, sex, loss and everything in between, but in the end, they both end up in the right place for them.

Robert Cowan does a brilliant job of balancing humour, grit and surprise, and I found myself intrigued all the way through, though I'll be honest in saying I didn't always know where it was going. I'd recommend it as one to read.

BOOK REVIEW: Confessions of a School Nurse by Michael Alexander

4/5 Stars

Blurb:

From the people who brought you the bestselling Confessions of a GP.

After sixteen years of high-pressure nursing, Michael Alexander has traded in his hospital uniform for the fresh air, comfort and routine of an International private school in the French Alps. Bliss! But it’s not long before he discovers that school nursing is not all permission slips, sniffles and gift baskets. Disastrous school trips; after hours dorm sleepovers; awkward sex education classes; culture clashes; swine flu panic; and kids with six-figure bank balances and a taste for bribery. This is nursing as you’ve never seen it before.

What goes on behind the gates of one of the world’s most elite boarding schools? What happens when kids from all over the world – Russia, Africa, America, Saudi Arabia – live, learn and grow under one roof? What happens when it’s left to school staff to teach children the facts of life, and lust?

Review:

From nits to sex education, this boarding school is full of kids from wealthy backgrounds with parents that don't really want to know. Most of them use an 'agent' to speak on their behalf, because whether they're from Italy or Germany, Poland or France, their English isn't always the greatest. Pair that with different world customs and beliefs, Michael has his work cut out to keep these kids in check.

Despite being there as a nurse for medical reasons, he finds himself acting as a friend, confidant and even a detective - figuring out if the teenager in front of him is really ill or whether they just don't want to do P.E.

Confessions of a school nurse is a memoir of short, easy to read tales that ring true of school life, even if things are slightly different at a boarding school. I'd recommend it as an easy read if you don't want anything too heavy or time consuming.

BOOK REVIEW: Island by Richard Laymon

3/5 Stars

WARNING: Brace yourself for a long one here, I didn't realise how much this book annoyed me until I started writing. 

Blurb: 

When eight people go on a cruise in the Bahamas, they plan to swim, sunbathe and relax. Getting shipwrecked is definitely not in the script. But after the yacht blows up they're stranded on a deserted island, and there's a maniac on the loose.

Review: 

Island is the story of Rupert, a teenage boy who gets stuck on an island with his teenage girlfriend, her parents and her sisters. Seemingly an accidental explosion of their ship, it soon becomes apparent that someone has set them up. Then people start to show up dead, and they soon realise they're living amongst a murderer. 

The book overall kept me interested the whole way through. There was always elements of mystery, even though we knew who the perpetrator was most of the way through. Richard Laymon is clearly a talented writer. He knows how to keep it interesting, despite it being a pretty long book. 

Despite how interesting it was, there was also a lot wrong with it in my opinion. First of all, some of it was downright perverted and wrong. Fair enough, this is fiction and the character in question was meant to be sadistic, but I didn't really NEED to know all the details. I found Rupert's obsession with the women on the island totally inappropriate, given their circumstances. 

Another thing which spoilt it for me was how it ended. As readers, of course we want the satisfaction of things being wrapped up toward the end. We want to see how it ends - where do the characters end up? Do they ever get off the island? What do they tell people? The author didn't tell us any of this. The story ended with them still on the island, really no further forward. 

The sexual pairing of two of the characters also seemed a little weird after everything. Considering the character in question had been raped and abused for some time, why would she want to be sexual toward somebody else? It just seemed as if Richard Laymon was using his female characters as objects, not really giving much thought to how they would be feeling after their turmoil. All the women in fact were very volatile and mouthy, despite everything they were going through. Is that really the greatest depiction of somebody who has been through all that? I think maybe the author needs to do some research on sexual abuse if he's going to write about something so horrific. 

It's a massive shame, because if some of that would have been handled better, and Rupert wasn't such a perv, the book would have gotten a higher rating from me.

'Resistance' Pre-Order

Well, FINALLY I got round to self publishing 'Resistance' the second part of the Synergy Series. It's available for pre-order now on Amazon, while the first book is now available for free on Kindle Unlimited.

REVIEW: The Ghost Files 3.5 by Apryl Baker

3/5 Stars

Blurb: 

Tick tock…

Mary Cross has been forced to accept the world of the supernatural because of an experience that left her with the ability to hear—but not see—the supernatural. She survived three weeks of being kidnapped and tortured, and it has left her emotionally and physically scarred.

Across the street from her house, strange things are happening…

Mysterious noises haunt the residents, faucets turn on by themselves, and footsteps can be heard running up and down the stairs. It all centers around Noah, a two year old child. Babysitters have run screaming from the house.

Caleb Malone has been dumped into a teeming hornet’s nest…

He’s always been the good son, done everything asked of him, and even gave up graduate school to join the family business of hunting supernatural villains. He’s convinced himself he’s happy, that his duty to his gift should come before anything else.

Until he meets Mary Cross.

She gives him hope that things can be different, that he can be different.

Together, the two of them must solve the mystery of the two shadows stalking the child and save him from whatever has attached itself to him. Time is running out and to save Noah, forcing Mary to face her own demons.

But in doing so…has she put a target on her back? 

Review:

I'm a big fan of the ghost files books, so when I saw there was another one, of course I had to pick it up. I didn't realise it was going to be a spin off, and I was skeptical whether I really wanted to see one. Mary Cross is the main character for 3.5, the foster sister of Mattie Hathaway, our usual heroine. Don't get me wrong, Mary is a sweetheart but I didn't know if she'd be interesting enough for a whole book.

The book itself is a short one, but overall I enjoyed it. I did feel it was repeated in places because it followed what was happening with Mattie too, (what we've already seen in the previous book) just from a different perspective. However, when the creepy action got going, it was great. Apryl Baker writes her creepy scenes really well, and I'm of course rooting for someone like her who started out on Wattpad.

FYI: If you haven't yet read any of the Ghost Files books, I'd recommend them. She's even got a movie deal out of them now.

BOOK REVIEW: First There Was Silence by Leonie Haubrich

2/5 Stars

Blurb: 

Nele finally had her life back on track. After her first marriage crumbled, she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to recover—until she met Andreas.

Their marriage and the birth of Lotta had been a small miracle. But when the baby, now nine months old, mysteriously disappears, Nele’s world turns dark again. Suspicion immediately falls on her—but Detective Sven Jansen suspects that there’s more to the story, especially when Nele’s long-estranged sister suddenly reappears and begins talking about their past.

Desperate to retrieve her missing daughter, Nele finds herself on the run. With her world crashing down around her, she combats the growing distrust from those closest to her, along with her own self-doubt, to find out what happened to Lotta. But can she or Detective Jansen uncover the truth? Or will Nele’s worst nightmare become a reality for a second time?

Review: 

The beginning of the book started out well. I was curious to know who had kidnapped the baby and why exactly. However, I very quickly guessed who the kidnapper was and I was right. I knew it before the character did which meant there was never an element of surprise. I also had no idea why some chapters were focused on the police officers on the case. I wondered if it was because they would become important to the story but nope, they were just there.

I didn't realise when I started the book that is had been translated as the original book was German. I did have suspicions due to the characters names but it wasn't till I read other reviews that I realised. (I obviously didn't look at the cover hard enough because it clearly states so). I do think certain things may have been lost in translation. It was mostly fine but every now and then something would read a little weird but nothing major.

Overall, I didn't really enjoy the book. I liked the premise of the story but it just didn't really do it for me. Most likely because I knew who the kidnapper was early on, I lost interest.

BOOK REVIEW: The Last Dreamer by Barbara Solomon Josselsohn

2/5 Stars

Blurb:

Iliana Passing—wife, mother, and former acclaimed journalist—gave up her career to start a family. Almost fifteen years later, despite how much she loves her husband and kids, she can’t help wondering how she ended up with a life spent carpooling and running errands.

Ready to get back into the journalism game, Iliana searches for an exciting lead. When she discovers that Jeff Downs, the heartthrob star of an old TV show and her girlhood crush, now owns a nearby textile company, she thinks she’s found her story: teen celebrity and its aftermath. But as Iliana gets to know Jeff, the two grow closer than she ever could’ve imagined. Now that her teenage dream has walked into her present-day reality, how far will she go to entertain an old fantasy?

Review: 

Illiana is a former writer for the Business Times who gets the chance to interview an old pop heart throb. On the surface, I liked the idea of this book, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. Illiana is married, and I really didn't like her husband. The relationship was all about him and he was very selfish - I thought that this would open up the window for a romance with Jeff, the old pop star. However, this didn't happen either, and as it turns out, he wasn't very nice either. I think the fact that I didn't particularly like any of the characters was my problem. Even Illiana herself I didn't really connect with. It was readable, but not something I'd recommend.

Dreams

I went back to work on Monday after having the full Christmas period off. A whole week dedicated to reading, writing and social media. I can't even tell you how good it was to have that time to dedicate to all of it, and I managed to finish the YA novel I'd been working on. (If you're on Wattpad, it's called Dorm Room.)

My job is pretty new. I've been there about a month, and let me tell you, in the grand scheme of things, I've won the lottery with this job. Going back after time off is always hard in a job, but Monday, my motivation was just down. I didn't want to be there, because I wanted to work on my writing.

I started writing, seriously, when I realised that I didn't have a hobby. That thought seemed wrong to me, and I started thinking about what I could do as my hobby. What do I enjoy, what am I good at? I've always been a storyteller as such, a writer even. I'd started books before, for years, but I'd never get past the first chapter or so. In 2014, something took over me, and I decided it was now or never. Then I wrote Synergy.

I don't know whether it works the same for everybody, but finishing my first novel gave me the writing bug. I could write a book, I had, and I would do it again. The ideas were flowing, and suddenly I had multiple book ideas and not enough time to write them. Even now, I'll be somewhere thinking about something irrelevant, and bam - a book idea.

I've dedicated so much time to writing, and promoting, and everything that comes with trying to be an author. I've burned myself out at times. Still, I know now more than ever that this isn't a hobby anymore. This is something that I really want to do. I dream about being able to do it for a living, to not have to go back to working for somebody else, even though I'm in a great job. Why else would I not want to go back to a great job? The only reason is simple; because I want to do an even greater job.

Writing isn't something I'm open about. Most people that know me personally don't know I write. Only close family and a few friends, and even some of them were told when I'd had one too many to drink. The reason? I think J Cole said it best.

"If they don't know your dreams, they can't shoot them down."

BOOK REVIEW: What Might Have Been by Matt Dunn

3/5 Stars

Blurb: 

A year ago, Evan and Sarah shared one incredible night. Then Evan’s music—the thing that brought them together—suddenly tore them apart.

Since then, Evan’s not been able to forget about her. And try as she might, Sarah can’t seem to get over him either.

With time running out, Evan’s got one last chance to convince her that the two of them were meant to be. But is one night enough for Sarah to make a decision about the rest of her life—even if it was the best night of her life? And if she doesn’t believe in love at first sight, how can Evan persuade her that what they had will last?

Review:

Being a writer of a romance book but never really reading any of that genre, I decided to start. What made me pick Matt Dunn's book I'm not sure, but overall, I really enjoyed this story of Evan and Sarah, a couple who have a one night stand (and lunch the next day) but then don't see each other for a year. When the pair meet again, Sarah is engaged to another man, and Evan is keen to make her realize that he's the one for her, not her fiance.

I absolutely loved the beginning of this book, but admittedly, it started to get a bit repetitive towards the middle/end. Sarah seemed to have the same conversations with her friend about her dilemma with the two men, and frankly, I just wanted them to hurry up and make up their mind. I really liked Evan as a character, and I was rooting for the two of them to work it out, but I just wanted it to happen a little sooner.

That said, Matt Dunn's writing style is very easy to read and and his story is easy to immerse yourself in. It was a pleasurable read overall. However, I really didn't like the ending. It seemed an abrupt finish really, and after all of the repetitive conversations throughout the book, I felt this could have been cut down for a more thorough and explained ending.

Giveaway: Signed Copies of 'Synergy'

I am giving away 2 signed PROOF copies of 'Synergy' in paperback. Please note this is open to British residents only (sorry, but postage..) Enter the giveaway here.